The present invention relates to a traveling cleaner for a textile manufacturing plant and which is mounted for movement along rails positioned above the textile machines in the plant.
Dust pollution in textile manufacturing plants is significant, with the result that the textile machines of the plants are considerably contaminated. This is detrimental to the quality of the products and increases the risk of operating failures.
In order to overcome this problem, the rooms in which the textile machines stand are air-conditioned and the air is constantly cleaned. Also, use is made of traveling cleaners which are movable on rails extending above the textile machines and which clean the individual textile machines with the aid of specifically directed air streams. Arranged for this purpose on a traveling cleaner carriage moving on the rails, are a fan which generates the air flow and which is driven by a fan motor. Also, a drive motor is provided for moving the carriage on the rails. In order to guide the blowing streams and/or suction streams specifically onto those points of the textile machines which cause problems, hoses and pipes oriented away from the carriage in the direction of the textile machines are provided, as is described, for example, in EP-B1-0 646 192.
Since traveling cleaners must also be capable of being guided along routes containing bends, the rails lie next to one another with a small gage. This small gage often leads to stability problems, particularly when bends are negotiated, by reason of a high center of gravity of the motors arranged on the carriage and the centrifugal force acting on the hoses and pipes.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a traveling cleaner which has a simple construction so as to facilitate its fabrication, and which is stable even when traveling along bends.
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by the provision of a traveling cleaner which is mounted for movement along first and second rails, and wherein the carrying structure which supports the carriage of the cleaner runs on only three running wheels which are arranged in the corners of a triangle. A first running wheel runs on the running surface of the first rail, and a second running wheel and a third running wheel run one behind the other on a running surface of the second rail which is arranged next to the first rail.
The carrying structure is mounted, at least on the second and the third running wheel, so as in each case to be rotationally movable about an axis of rotation running approximately at right angles to the plane of movement defined by the running surfaces of the rails. By virtue of this arrangement, static overdefinition is avoided, and a larger gage can be selected, thus increasing the stability of the traveling cleaner during movement along the rail and especially on the bends.
It is particularly advantageous for the first running wheel to be driven via a motor and for the two running wheels running on the second rail to be mounted for free movement. A differential may thereby be dispensed with in the drive. Moreover, as compared with a four wheel support, there is a higher bearing force on the driven first running wheel and therefore a better transmission of the drive torque.
The bearing force and the drive torque transmission are also improved when approximately half the weight of the carriage is supported on the first running wheel.
By means of guide wheels engaging, preferably on both sides, on guide surfaces of the rails, the running wheels of the carriage are held on the running surfaces of the rails. The torque occurring as a result of the one sided drive is absorbed in a simple way by the lateral guide wheels and the running of the traveling cleaner is stabilized.
With the aid of sensors which cooperate with a control system regulating the speed of the traveling cleaner, an automatic detection of bends and the negotiation of these at reduced speed are possible, so that the centrifugal forces acting on hoses and pipes are reduced and travel on bends is stabilized.